The name “Soul Encounters” appropriately identified the program at Chabad House Center, which took place Tuesday, July 1, 3rd of Tammuz. Nearly 100 people attended.
Recognizing the tremendous encouragement, wisdom and direction of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, to a post-Holocaust world, and in recognition of his foresight in sending his personal emissaries, called shluchim, to Kansas City in 1970, Chabad House Center offered an Evening of Inspiration and Blessing to honor the 20th Yom Hillula (yahrzeit) of the Rebbe.
As the evening’s program was being finalized, plans included prayers for the safety of the three abducted boys in Israel, for whom all of Jewry worldwide was praying. To the great sadness of all, after 18 days of anticipation, the news came from Israel of the horrendous death of these three innocent and holy souls. In response, Chabad House offered a prayer memorial and words of inspiration.
I recalled how as a young girl growing up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, my mother was active in raising funds for an educational institution comprised of five buildings located in Kfar Chabad, Israel. “Yad Hachamisha” (the hand of five) was built in memory of four young boys and their teacher who were killed by Arab infiltrators during the early years of the Kfar. The Rebbe’s response to the devastation and despondency was to build where our enemies attempt to destroy.
In the words of the Rebbe to the mother of the young teacher, who was killed along with four of his students, the Rebbe commented:
“Through this an eternal victory against death is achieved. By establishing an organization in their memory that would bring spiritual growth to future generations the neshamot (souls) of those who had been killed would be connected to an eternal legacy.”
“Yad Hachamisha” educates underprivileged and at risk Jewish youth to become knowledgeable and capable young men — knowledgeable in their Judaism and capable of supporting a family, as they are taught a trade alongside their Judaic studies.
Rabbi Sholom B. Wineberg, regional director of Chabad for the states of Kansas and Missouri, spoke about the importance of every Jewish person’s connection to a leader, as Moses in his generation, so too the Rebbe is recognized as the leader of our generation. This connection continues today and beyond in the many Chabad centers that continue to follow his legacy of love for a fellow and community responsibility. So many lives have been touched right here in Kansas City through blessings from the Rebbe, Rabbi Wineberg intoned, and we will continue to follow in his footsteps in any way we can to serve the Jewish community physically and spiritually in the years to come.
As we follow the directives of the Rebbe to encourage more mitzvot, Torah study and acts of goodness and kindness, we await the imminent day of the coming of Moshiach — a time of true peace and tranquility in the world.
Lenny Singer, an attorney and member of the Chabad House, shared some insights about connecting to the Rebbe and his powerful influence on the world we live in, albeit through extreme modesty and always thinking about others. He brought quotes from Professor Sarah Chana Handelman, Rabbi Dr. Adin Even Yisroel Steinsaltz and others.
Dr. Aviel Eidelman shared a personal story of a blessing from the Rebbe he experienced recently when he traveled to Israel with his wife to meet up with a great uncle, who is a survivor of the Holocaust and grew up in communist Russia. His uncle had become completely estranged from his Judaism and source of life. Dr. Eidelman described in factual detail the miracles that occurred for this memorable visit to take place, which helped awaken the soul of his great uncle to share the Jewish life and songs he was raised with — truly a gift to himself and to Aviel, who never knew his own grandfather. He presented his great uncle with a gift of tefillin, and his uncle said he would do this mitzvah as he had learned to do in his youth.
The evening was concluded with words of inspiration and moving forward and a plea that each individual take upon himself a mitzvah, and encourage one other person to do so as well — In particular the mitzvah of tefillin for men and boys over Bar Mitzvah age, and lighting the Shabbat and holiday candles at the proper time for Jewish women and girls. Also the mitzvah of a kosher mezuzah was advanced and its importance was stressed. Chabad House offered the services of a rabbi, who will be in Kansas City for the summer, to check mezuzot or tefillin in one’s home or place of business.
Please call 913-940-1113 to make a mezuzah-check appointment or to learn more about this mitzvah.
“Together we CAN make a difference and bring this world to the time of Moshiach, where all questions will be answered and true peace will reign in the world.